lifestream with camera. discovering nature & urban ways.

Photos of Dead Sea, Israel

The first mention of the name “Dead Sea” found in the writings of the ancient Greek scholar Pausanias, who was among the first to investigate its water. The lake is determined by the title of “dead” because it was believed that because of the high salt content, it can not live neither fish nor other organisms, except for certain types of bacteria in the mouth of the River Jordan. In recent years, XX – early XXI century, there was found about 70 species of higher fungi and oomycetes, capable to live in a maximum salinity.

Several intermittent streams and the Jordan River flow into the Dead Sea. Over the past 40 years, the volume of the watercourse is down from 1.43 billion cubic meters per year to 100 million.

In the vicinity of the Dead Sea have been found the famous Qumran manuscripts. This is more than 600 manuscripts, proving that the Jewish sect of the Essenes in II century BC professed principles similar to the Gospel precepts. The first scrolls from Qumran manuscripts accidentally found the boy-Badawi in 1947. In the Dead Sea were the biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

The Dead Sea is stunning natural phenomenon. Perhaps this is the one officially recognized health resort, where European countries send to the treatment of its citizens by providing them with free medical insurance.

The eastern side of the Dead Sea are mountains; in the west are the hills of Jerusalem. This surrounding landscape resembles an alien. Today, the Dead Sea area is very thinly populated and there are always quiet and calm.